Davidji is a world-renowned expert in meditation, stress management, and mindfulness. Ahead of a seminar he gave in Dublin last September, we heard his advice on establishing a meditation practice, his experience of working with Deepak Chopra, and his thoughts on the late, great Louise Hay. He will be visiting Dublin again for a special Saoirse Weekend Workshop from April 13 to April 15. Click here for more details. Davidji’s website is davidji.com.
Interviewer: Aisling Cronin
Thank you for speaking with us today, Davidji. What do you feel are the secrets of meditation?
The most important secret to meditation is to just surrender. We always try to control situations in our lives, and meditation requires us to fully surrender and just allow. The only ‘bad’ meditation is the one we don’t show up for. I think if we realise that meditation will help make us more patient, better listeners, and better choice makers, we would be more inclined to take aside five minutes here, ten minutes there, just to take a step back and do it.
Can you tell us about how this journey began for you?
I started meditating when I was in college, but as I got more involved in my corporate job, my meditation practice slipped away, and so did my sense of balance. I didn’t realise at the time that there were tools you could use to have a job out there in the ‘real world’ and also maintain a sense of balance through meditation. So my journey went through a lot of different phases. I travelled through India seeking Gurus, I studied under some amazing masters, and I was also the dean of Deepak Chopra’s university for a decade.
How did you find your experience of working with Deepak Chopra for so many years?
It was really one of the highlights of my life. I first met Deepak at a retreat he was running in England, and he soon became a great friend and teacher. After I returned from my travels in India, I said to him, ‘let me share my business skills with you and maybe you can share some of your brilliance with me’ … and it was a beautiful exchange.
Your books are published by Hay House, and we were sad to hear about the passing of Louise Hay recently. What was your experience of working with her?
Thank you for acknowledging Louise Hay and remembering her. She was a powerful mentor, who invited me to start hosting a show on Hay House Radio, and was always very kind to me. What is amazing about her is that she wrote her first book, You Can Heal Your Body, in a very male-dominated publishing world, and said, ‘I will not be denied – if you don’t want to publish my book, I will do it myself … and even set up my own publishing house!’ Louise Hay really shook things up and raised the vibration of the world.
What are your plans for the future?
I’ve just submitted my third manuscript to Hay House. The book will be called Sacred Powers, and it’s about how to access your innate sacred powers when you find your life is at a crossroads, to help you awaken and move into the next phase of your life.
You can watch our full, unedited interview with Davidji via this YouTube link. To find our channel, just search ‘Positive Life Magazine’ on YouTube. For more information on Davidji and his work, visit his website davidji.com.